Article from For Liberty by Norm Leahy.

The Trump administration’s temporary halt in funding for the World Health Organization has caused a stir. But even as the organization tries to rally people to its defense, its own bureaucrats are giving opponents even more reason to keep the cash taps closed.

Consider this press release from the W.H.O’s European office. The release rightly warns against a genuine problem – that “consuming high-strength alcohol can kill the COVID-19 virus.”

“It does not,” the agency says, adding that, “…consuming high-strength ethyl alcohol (ethanol), particularly if it has been adulterated with methanol, can result in severe health consequences, including death.”

A simple, sensible health message…that goes on to become a prohibition ad:

“Alcohol is consumed in excessive quantities in the European Region, and leaves too many victims. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we should really ask ourselves what risks we are taking in leaving people under lockdown in their homes with a substance that is harmful both in terms of their health and the effects of their behaviour on others, including violence,” says Carina Ferreira-Borges, Programme Manager, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs Programme, WHO/Europe.

Scolds will always be with us. But that does not mean American taxpayers must be forced to subsidize them.

Image Credit: Uri Tours (uritours.com) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons